Dr. Deborah Harris is President and CEO of Deborah Harris, Inc. She was formerly an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Her major areas of research focused on collaboration and intrinsic motivation.

Dr. Harris taught children and youth with special needs for 10 years, and taught at the university level for 17 years. Prior to joining the faculty at USF, Dr. Harris was on faculty at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. At the University of North Carolina and the University of South Florida, Dr. Harris has received numerous accolades for teaching excellence, including both universities' top awards for teaching excellence. She also maintains an active writing and publication agenda.

Dr. Harris received her undergraduate degree from Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. and earned both her Masters and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She served as a post-doctoral fellow with the Bush Institute for Child and Family Policy, a research fellow at the Free University of Amsterdam in Amsterdam Holland, and has completed a research internship at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

As a professional orator, Dr. Harris has traveled extensively addressing topics on communication, cultural diversity, collaboration, leadership, and job excellence, to name a few. Her motto is "Where there is no vision, there is no hope, where there is no hope there is no growth. When we cease to grow, we cease to exist." Deborah is the mother of two. Her daughter, Tonya recently finished law school and lives in Orlando, Florida. Deborah’s son, Eugene is a Captain in the US Army and has served three tours of duty in the Middle East. Her daughter-in-law, Natalie is a Clinical Therapist. Dr. Harris’ grandchildren Tre’, Briana and Evan are the joy of her life.

She resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is actively involved in professional, civic, and church organizations.